


Can't take the corpo out of the rat

by ritedition



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Canon-Typical Violence, Corpo V (Cyberpunk 2077), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not Beta Read, Pre-Canon, V becoming a merc, V is a brat, or so they wish, some non-canon(I guess), teen!V
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29266734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ritedition/pseuds/ritedition
Summary: V is the only child of an influential family that is connected to Arasaka for generations. It is obvious where their life will lead them. But being the teen they are V has other plans and does whatever they can to go their own way.
Kudos: 7





	1. V, family's disappointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V is the offspring of a family, closely tied to Arasaka. But on this day, as they make their way into NC with Del, they decide to be responsible for their own fate.

There are times for a society when it doesn’t matter anymore if you are getting children. Or when you are getting children. There are an awful lot of people on the planet anyway. A lot of them also struggling. So it didn’t matter if the birth rate would go down. Actually, in the past month, they had advertised that it would be better if the rate would be sinking. So, no shame in not getting any kids at all.  
  
But not getting children had never been an option. There had to be a child. The only possibility was to delay it. When you could grow so old and stay young forever with enough money in the banks, it actually doesn’t matter when you’re getting offspring. You could be one hundred years old and be not too old. They didn’t want to wait that long, but they also didn’t want a child in their twenties or thirties. Or forties. You get it. They both had been busy with their careers and only when the moment came that they were highly successful, they had agreed that it was time for the planning of the next generation. Both their families were influential in Night City and in high positions within Arasaka for generations.   
Their own marriage was planned very early in both of their lives. It had been more of a contract between both families than a mutual understanding of him and her. The marriage was set before they had even met. But of course, they wouldn’t object. They knew their role. And so it was their duty to start the next generation and the adequate upbringing.  
  
It was a necessity. Definitely, not a child of love. But that was not too ordinary anyways. This kid had to be born, for they had to carry the family's name. Their name and reputation had to survive for more generations. They had to keep the work for Arasaka alive. They had to get children and carry on. It was easy. That was the only purpose of this child. It was as easy as that. Pretty pragmatic. Nevertheless, they were somewhat excited for the child. It was only natural after you carried an unborn inside of you for several months. And in regards to the awaiting father: if you spend so much money for making sure that the kid would be healthy. That was what counted anyways. Gender didn’t matter, they had no preference. It mostly didn’t matter in this world anyways anymore. Sexism wasn’t dead yet but it was not impossible to be successful and influential no matter the sex or gender. And that was enough for them. The child had to be healthy and ready to be formed to an adequate heir of the family.  
Their hopes were high, expectations pretty low as you can form children as you want. But little did they know what disappointment would wait for them in the future.

V was shoving some sushi down, combined with some freshly brewed and steaming hot coffee. You’d be right to say it was a disgusting combination. But V liked it. Their breakfast had been out of the ordinary as long as they could think and as much as they were aware their parents didn’t bother at all. As long as they got all the nutrients they needed they couldn’t care less. The teen clicked the chopsticks against the counter they were sitting at. Right before the wide-open windows. A full glass wall that you could open on days like these letting in a warm breeze. One of the few days without disgusting rain. The view was breathtaking when the weather was nice. With sandstorms, rain (or even acid rain), or too many clouds it wasn’t as nice anymore. It made Night City ugly to look at. Well … uglier as it was anyways compared to the houses in North Oak that were high tech, the best architects could offer these years while Night City was … well, you mostly could see who was living in the districts. It showed.  
The crystal blue infinity pool was laying before them, fitting perfectly into the unblocked view down the city and V wondered if they should go for a swim later. If they had time. Probably not. The song changed. With a groan, they muttered: »Next.« And the house intern AI recognized their voice, playing the next song. It was some rock song. V wasn’t sure what its name was exactly, but they knew it was old. Basically too old to listen to anyways, but they couldn’t deny that it had some charm. Now and then you could listen to it. V's head was nodding to the rhythm of the song. Until the song stopped. Confused they looked around.  
  
Steady, clear steps echoed from the expensive walls with the even more expensive artworks. On high heels, their mother walked into the room. Her voice clear, determining, even sharper now that she hadn’t to talk against the music. She had this weird presence that always urged V not to argue with her at all. Her voice alone was enough to simply nod and be on your way. »No, Arthur«, she said. »I do not care why you didn’t manage to do what I asked of you.«  
  
Well, poor guy on the line, V thought. They wouldn’t want to swap with them. The teen knew too well what would be coming next and they decided that they didn’t want to hear how their mother was ripping the guy apart. Probably someone younger, just started their career, working their way up in the business. But well… there was a good chance that their career was already over now. Depending on how big their mistake had been. V’s sympathy for them was only that big, they had learned pretty early that you don’t have to pity those that don’t do what you are asking of them. If they were under you they had to do everything and beyond to get you what you wanted. So… too bad for Arthur. Perhaps he would figure it out somehow.   
  
Quickly, V gulped down some vitamin pills, laid their finger on the scanner that was built in the corner. Their daily nutrition data so far showed up. Not enough iron. V rolled their eyes. Yeah, as always. They had to get some supplements later again. Was it actually weird that their family monitored their health that meticulously? V didn’t know it any differently than that. With one hand they straightened their expensive clothes, slipped into their shoes, and left. Nowadays they didn’t bother anymore to tell anyone in the house when they were leaving and where to. No one would listen anyway. And as long as V was wearing this fancy wristband their parents would know anyway. A short smile crept on V’s face. Well, too bad, today was the day for some secrets. They took the wristband off and threw it in one of the many vases on their way to the main door. They left without a single word. Yeah, V could already hear what their parents would say regarding their behaviour, but they wouldn’t have to know and as long V was back and okay they would never know. So the teen wasn’t too bothered at all.  
They walked across the clean walkway next to precisely cut bright green grass (almost didn’t look real with that vibrant colour) towards the dark, metallic gate. Cameras from different angles swayed their way, focusing on them as they walked towards a black Delamain car and got in. »Good morning«, they were greeted by the well-known AI voice. The pale face with the blue lip colour appeared on the small screen in front of V.  
  
»Morning, Del«, they said, scooting a little moreover.  
  
»I hope, you have a delightful day.«  
  
»Yeah, sure. It’s gonna get better now.« The AI only nodded. V actually enjoyed talking to Del. They used the automatic driving service often. The teen didn‘t want their own designated driver as they felt like they couldn’t go to places as they wanted without their parents knowing. And as their parents strictly forbid them to drive on their own the expensive service had been the only option. Granted, their parents would know where V was going this way as well but it at least had a different feel to it. And V could lie to themselves that their parents didn’t know. And after all these years with the AI … they kind of felt like a friend so V was almost sure that Del would hide some information from V’s parents if the teen asked them to.  
  
»Where are we heading to today?«, the AI asked.  
  
»To the Cherry Blossom Market, in Japantown.«  
  
»As you wish.«  
  
Soft music started playing and V’s gaze drifted outside the window as the car started moving off the family property.


	2. Untouchable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V meets Wakako and asks them for that one chance they really, really need and want.

»We arrived at the destination«, said Delamain as the car pulled over to the side of the street and gently stopped. The doors left and right of V unlocked, ready for them to leave the car. But the teen hesitated for a moment. Again, they overthought if they really wanted to do that. Actually, they were certain, but they had to be aware that there would hardly be a return from this moment on. It probably was the biggest change and decision of their own in their life so far, they felt. And the first major decision they made on their very own and without input from others.

»Is everything alright?«, asked Del.

»Yeah«, V looked outside.

»I sense some nervousness and high heart rate. Are there any-«

»No, Del. Am just excited to see the market«, V lied and they quickly left the car. There was no point in lying to Delamain or telling them the truth regarding their plan either. They just didn’t want to explain anything and the less people knew what they were up to the better. Even though it might only just be an AI.

Before them was the arch to the market. The name itself in relatively small neon colours above them. Red lanterns were hanging all over the place and lit although it was in the middle of the day. But the nearby houses cast enough shadows on the market to give the lanterns some sense. Small booths were scattered all over the place, producing many heavy smells. Every single one on their own smelled delicious, the combination of everything was too much. Like a massive wave, it hit V as they walked around. Their gaze was moving towards the digital cherry tree to the left. It was oddly beautiful, yet felt somehow out of place. Midst the city V wouldn’t have expected real trees anyways. There were quite some of them in North Oak, V knew what trees looked like, although they mostly were trimmed, expensive and seldom in blossom. Somehow this digital tree was something special and for a moment V had to stop and just watch. Or perhaps this was because they had never been here. Japantown, in particular, wasn’t somewhere where V would go normally. Or was allowed to go. North Oak was okay, Charter Hill as well, City Center of course. The rest? Either the areas were uninteresting like Santa Domingo in total or they were too dangerous because of the gangs. V’s parents were very strict where their child was allowed to go, but V themselves had taken on this mindset. Why would they be in places that are dangerous with filthy people if they didn’t have any business there? There was no logic in that.

But today was different. V wanted to be here. For a reason.

And Cherry Blossom Market wasn’t their final destination. They wanted to go to Jig-Jig Street. But they didn’t want to ask Delamain to drive them there directly. Granted, the market wasn’t really far away but V was sure that it made a huge difference in the log data which their parents surely checked now and then. They didn’t have to know that V had been there. The thought alone caused V to hear their voices in their head. Jig-Jig Street was a place in Night City where the teen shouldn’t be. A smile formed on V’s face. Usually, they wouldn’t be one to disobey on the regular, but it made today even more fun. It was exciting. And by the thought alone their heart raced a little faster. Fast they walked up the stairs, leaving the market behind them, and crossed the streets.

And there it was. Jig-Jig Street. V hadn’t been too sure what they had expected. They knew from TV and pictures, what it looked like. They weren’t that naïve that they wouldn’t know. But it was different now that they were standing here. It was busy, it was loud, lots of people walking the streets, even more gathering in front of shops, forming a constant stream inside and outside. V felt a little out of space as they walked forward. They were used to having enough space for their personal bubble with a certain presence around them. But here it was crowded, more often than once someone bumped into them. Left and right stood Joytoys, inviting Johns over. For a brief moment, V was tempted to stop and observe but with the next bump into their side, their mind raced back to their plan and fast they moved on.

Where they wanted to go? Wakako’s pachinko parlour.

Now, it had to be rather obvious why V wanted to go there, right? There were only that much possibilities why one would visit the fixer. One: they needed help with a problem of some sort; two: they wanted work. For V, it was the later.

It was a … delicate plan, you had to admit. V wasn’t part of the community. They didn’t have enough connections for just strolling into the place and demand work. V wasn’t part of this lower-ranked society class. But they knew how to get information, who to talk to, how to look for something and usually how to get what they wanted. That was a skill they had learned since they were younger. It was the corpo way. V hadn’t been so stupid not to announce themselves. They didn’t want to risk a surprise entrance and risk being sent away again. Of course, the risk was still there, but smaller now, they thought at least. The best option. Now they weren’t a corpo brat appearing and demanding work. Now it had the character of a business meeting, two people concluding a contract.

Soft dings and beeps came from left to right as V entered the small parlour. Big, outdated looking, blind bandit machines covered both sides of the room. V passed them, walking straight towards the small counter in the back. Before they just could walk past, a young woman sprung to her feet and stopped V with a sharp tuck on their arm: »Where do you think you are going?«

»In the back?«, V said. Their voice heavy with some confusion and the inevitable arrogance. Their gaze wandered to the woman’s hand. »I guess Wakako’s there?«

The woman nodded but hesitated.

»I have an appointment so to say.«

Sceptically, she scanned them. »I’m sure you do«, she said. She didn’t believe them.

It bothered V. »What?«, they snapped. »Why would I lie?«

»Listen there, kid, don’t know what u think ur biz is here, but ju-«

»It’s alright«, a somewhat sharp, but calm voice came from the back, hidden behind a bead curtain.

A triumphant smile beamed on V’s face and with a strong tuck of their own, they got rid of the woman’s hand, straightened their shoulders some more. »There you go«, they grinned and the woman rolled her eyes, going back to their work. They didn’t want to bother with V, not worth their time. V didn’t care. With confident steps, they moved on, walked through the curtain and stood in a small bureau. The room was small but relatively empty, so it didn’t feel cramped. There was no window, it was dim. Right in front of the door stood one heavy desk, made of real wood (as far V could tell) and at this desk sat an oldish woman. It probably was the desk’s fault that she looked a little smaller than she actually was. Her hair was partly grey, neatly bind back into a bun. She scanned V through her big, round glasses. Her face was emotionless at first, no sign what she thought about the teen.

V stiffened a little. It kind of annoyed them that they didn’t know what she was thinking. Often people gave some clues away, helping V to adjust their behaviour in their own favour. Here it was somewhat impossible. They squinted for a second. »We have an appointmen-«

»Yes, I know«, she stopped them midsentence. There was silence, Wakako took her time, looking at V. The air was heavy, felt tense to V. They didn’t want to admit it (not even to themselves) but it made them nervous and Wakako’s presence was intimidating. »I wonder«, she said. »Why it is that V-«

»Just V is enough!« They had seen that she had wanted to address them with their full name. With the years you had a feeling when people want you to call you with your full name. There is this certain pause, just a split second, everyone is making, before addressing you. Apart from family V never used their full name. Not their full first name and never their last name. For everyone they just were V. And they would like to keep it that way.

»Smart.« It felt like praise for a second. »It wouldn’t be for your own good if people knew who you are. Corpos are usually not very welcome here. Also not their offsprings.«

V nodded. They had figured. As much as mercs or gangs weren’t welcome in corpo areas. Perhaps it was part of the reason why they were here.

»Say, V«, Wakako continued. »How come that a corpo family heir is visiting me if not for asking for help? Why is that?«

She was right. V didn’t need help. If they would, they could hire specialists themselves. They wouldn’t need the help of a fixer. »I want you to give me a job«, they said. Their eyes laid firm on her. »As a merc.«

Her lips curled in slight amusement. »Is there nothing else to do for a bored corpo kid like you? Something less dangerous? Would be a shame if there would be no heir anymore.«

V pressed their lips together. » I don’t plan on dying!« Obviously. They were no idiot. They knew the risks they had to take with this sort of work. Plus, if they did, it was their own fault, right? But they didn’t dare saying that to Wakako. »I want to work.«

»And there is no work at Arasaka for you? I’m certain your family would be delighted seeing you in the family business.«

V huffed. She was right. She was absolutely right. Their parents would be happy if V would show some interest in the path they had laid out for them. But no chance. »I decide for myself what kind of work I want to do. My family’s business is no business of mine.« They slightly clenched their fists.

Wakako leaned back, her gaze still on V. Her eyes were scanning them, almost looking through them to their very core. She tried to see their motives, what they wanted and how big of a risk they were. V couldn’t blame her. They would have done the same if they were in her place. But V, at the same time, liked to keep their cards to them, having some secret for themselves. It was a silent, actually uneven standoff between them which V hardly could win. The teen was certain that Wakako had more than enough experience in the job to make up her mind regarding V. The longer it was silent the more nervous V felt and some sort of desperation crept onto them. Should they say something? Or nothing at all? What was better? What was helpful? Was there a chance they had already messed up? They had been pretty confident until now. Had they been too confident? Their lips parted, this close to saying something but Wakako was faster: »Fine. I’m willing to give you a chance. At your own risk.«

»’Course!«, V nodded eagerly.

»Obviously, you’ll have to do small gigs.« For a short moment, her eyes seemed brighter, some brief silence. »There is a courier at Corpo Plaza, near Memorial Park. He is waiting for a shard.« She slid said shard across the table towards V. »Deliver it and let me know once you’re done.« There was a short beep in V’s head and an interface popped up in front of their inner eye before it vanished again. Their contacts had been updated, holding now Wakako’s number as well.

»Yeah, I will.« They grabbed the shard and went off.

V cursed their past self. They were stupid not to ask what this courier looked like and where exactly to wait for the guy. Corpo Plaza in general wasn’t too crowded. It wasn’t Downtown, but there were enough people so you wouldn’t know who you were looking for exactly. But they had been too excited about getting a job they didn’t bother asking more questions at all. Probably the first lesson they had to learn. Hopefully, it wouldn’t turn out to be their last. Would be a shame.

With a silent grumble, V cursed themselves, holding tighter on the shard in their pockets. What had they to look out for? They let their gaze wander. A lot of corpos walking around. Some tourists on their way to Memorial Park, lots of AVs above them, fancy-looking cars driving all over the place. V felt like they would spot someone who was looking out of place. They knew how people looked that had some corpo background, they knew since they were young. So they would know if they saw someone who didn’t belong here.

Unfortunately, it seemed like it was themselves that looked out of place as they were standing there; at the side, a little tense, always scanning their surroundings. Too late to react, two NCPD officers stood next to V, staring them down until they finally recognized them. »Officers?«, they asked.

»May we ask what you are doing here?«

»Me?« V sounded like an idiot. But they were baffled right now. Of all the situations that could have happened, they didn’t expect cops approaching them.

»Don’t see any other people we could talk to«, said the second cop, pushing is black aviators back.

Yeah, right. It was a stupid question with a stupid answer and V already felt the snarky answer at the tip of their tongue, but they held back. They were cheeky, but not stupid. They knew pretty well that you wouldn’t offend a cop. Not even as a corpo kid. »No, Sir. I am waiting for a friend.«

»A friend?«

»Yes, Sir.«

»Is that so?«

»Yes, Sir. They’re a little late and I didn’t hear from them why …soo.« it was a simple lie, but not too obvious. Could also be true. »We wanted to see the Park.«

»Is that so.« The two officers exchanged looks. »And you’re sure you’re not doing anything illegal. Selling drugs?«

»Eh… no… why would I? And here in the open?« Did they think that V was that stupid? Yes, they had acted suspicious, they had to give them that. But drugs? Really?

»Just say it now, if you’re doing illegal stuff.«

»No, Sir, I am sorry. Am just waiting, as I had said.«

The left one sighed loudly. »Would you mind if we check your ID?«

»No, not at all.« They came a step closer. V immediately made a step back. But they held their gaze. Both their eyes glowed blueish as they called for V’s personal information. Since a few years this was the new ‘can I see your ID-card’. Way easier and impossible to forget your ID. Very helpful for officers. Both of them looked over the incoming information. And their body language shifted. It was at that moment that V knew that they could be cocky again if they wanted. The two men had seen their family name.

»We are sorry for bothering you«, they said, shuffled a few steps back.

»No offence taken«, V said and a charming, slightly arrogant smile spread on their face. Yet it was innocent enough so they wouldn’t cause any more trouble. »Thank you for your service, officers.«

»Take care.«

»I will!« It was when they both nodded and quickly left back to their car, just shortly looking back at V, before they drove off, V felt invincible. They knew that they had certain privileges thanks to their family and family name. Sure those things came with a price (normally it was working for Arasaka and doing that for the end of your days) but right now? They could do anything. No one could hurt them, no one could lock them in. V felt light. And strong at the same time. As if they could do anything they set their mind to. Never before they had felt like they knew what power felt like. Was it like that? Maybe. However, there was still that broad grin and a slight chuckle as they were approached again.

V straightened their shoulders and looked at the young guy somewhere in their twenties. »Are you V?«, he asked, his voice a little low. The teen was ripped out off their happy moment, taken down their high and nodded: »Am I looking for you?«

»You probably are.«

V’s gaze went back to where the police car had parked a few moments ago. They were gone. »Let’s walk towards the park. Just to be safe.« The guy seemed confused for a second, but he apparently knew enough: »Sure.« Next to each other, they walked a while until he broke the silence: »You’ve got the shard?«

»Sure.«

They stopped. With a firm handshake, the shard switched owners and vanished in the guy’s pocket. »Well done, Fresh Meat. I’ll let Wakako know.«

»Okay«, they nodded. The guy turned and walked off. »He!«, V called after him. »Is Fresh Meat a debatable option? Any alternatives?!« As to be expected he didn’t turn around again, ignored V. »I guess not«, they whispered. They watched until he was fully gone. That was fine, right? Had worked well. Almost had been a flop, but well, look at how well they had handled that. Next, they called Wakako.

»V.« The old woman appeared in the corner of V’s eyes.

»Job done.«

»Yeah, I have heard about that. You were lucky your cover wasn’t blown.«

»No-« V was ready to discuss how that had not been pure luck. Partly perhaps, as their name had been part of that. But even without it, they were smart and witty enough to handle situations like these and it was only good if Wakako knew exactly that.

»You did good, V.« Wakako didn’t have any of this. »I will let you know if I have a new job for you.«

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go. V somehow weasel themselves to their very first gig.  
> I felt like Wakako would be the kind of fixer that would give them some jobs although they are young and act entitled :"D
> 
> So far so good, criticism is very welcome and have fun with it. Until next time, see ya :D


	3. Respect the name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look inside V's family and their dynamics after they come home. Their parents are not too pleased with them.

»Thank you, Del«, V said.

»You’re welcome, V. I hope I’ll be at your service the next time.« The AI beeped and nodded shortly and watched as the teen got out of the car.

The sun was setting; almost impossible to see the last rays of warm sunlight behind the distant skyscrapers. It actually was a pretty nice day today. Something you hardly recognize if you were in the city. With all those high buildings you never saw the sun and the decent warm temperatures were everything that gave it away. The holographic commercial banners were already stretching visibly in the sky again. For a moment V let the sun hit their skin, closed their eyes with a happy sigh before they pushed the front door of the mansion open. With a small beep, it had checked their authentication.

Silently, V entered. They never announced themselves. The house AI probably had already informed their parents. You just couldn’t enter this house without anyone noticing. At the very least the security firm would know who would come and who would leave. V heard talking from the formal living room. It sounded like their parents and … there were some other voices. They had guests over. Actually, V would love to just go up to their room, not bothering with any of the adults at all. Mostly, they were talking about business, about careers, ask about families they didn’t care about anyways. You know, the boring stuff. And if V had to choose they would avoid being part of this. But they knew what was expected of them too well. They must have heard the door and now V had no choice but to greet the guest minimum. And V didn't want to risk an argument later on, just because they didn't come in to greet the guests. It was the least their parents expected of them.

Still out of sight, V rolled their eyes, before they stepped from the high walled entrance into the loungey formal living room. The teen forced a polite smile on their face. »Hello, I’m V.« Their parents both wore that fake-friendly smile V knew too well. They sat next to each other on one white couch. On the other sat a dark-haired man with a strong jawline, bright blue eyes and in an expensive-looking suit next to an also dark-haired woman with almost equally strong features, full lips and a surprisingly plain costume. V couldn’t shake off the thought that the two looked oddly similar. Then again… that was the case with most corpos. In their suits and costumes, they all looked the same. V stepped towards the two guests, shaking their hands.

»Abernathy«, said the woman.

»Nice to meet you, ma’am.«

»Arthur Jenkins.«

»Pleasure, sir.« They both looked much younger than V’s parents. But then again… looks didn’t count anymore.

»Don’t mention it«, said Arthur and eyed V with great interest. He seemed nice, although the teen was pretty sure it was only a facade, like with everyone else in this room. »It’s nice finally meeting the golden child of the family.« He smiled with bright white teeth.

V forced the corners of their mouth even higher. It wasn’t the first time they heard this name. The family’s golden child. It was something a lot of people had called them before. It probably happened if you are the heir of a family and as far as V knew, their parents didn’t bother to correct that. And so did V. Yes, they hated being called that, but there was only so much they could do about it. The best coping was ignoring it and hoping that no one would call them that again. They had to endure that hated title. Jenkins already opening his mouth again and V had the horrible feeling that he would start talking about Arasaka and V’s future as a corpo, so they hurried and cut him off before he could say anything: »It was nice meeting you, I don’t want to disturb your meeting. I’ll-«

»Don’t worry!«, said Jenkins and waved it off with the hand holding one empty glass. » We are already done and I wouldn’t mind if you would join us. What do you think, Susan?« He looked to the woman. She was in the midst of a sip, took her time until she nodded: »Go ahead.«

V hesitated. They didn’t want to join. They wanted to leave. The wanted to hide in their room, be alone. Their stomach cramped and their heart dropped. Almost not noticeably their eyes flickered towards their parents, checking for their approval of any sort. Neither of them seemed too bothered by V’s presence. And it was that one time that V actually wished they were. A sly nod by their mother made the deal. »Sure, I would love to«, they pressed. Eyes were already laying on one free seat. »I’m gonna get me something to drink«, they said. A weak attempt to weasel out of the situation as much as they could and spend as little time here with the adults as possible. Their gaze wandered over the guests. »Can I bring you something while I am at it?«

Susan shook her head. »Not for me, thank you.«

V saw their father frown a little, pressing his lips together before everything was back to before in an instant. V looked back to Susan. Did she know that it would have been better to take a drink even though she wouldn’t finish it, the teen wondered. Their brain digging for names they had heard so often before. They couldn’t remember any Abernathy. She probably wasn’t one of those corpo families, she eventually had worked her way up. Didn’t matter in the end, by now she should know that there was no saving of resources (didn’t matter if it was money, actual resources, human resources or just food) in meetings like these. You had to show money and wealth and as a guest, you always had to take everything that was offered to you. Nonetheless, V nodded, their eyes wandering to Jenkins.

The man watched his almost empty glass before he grinned: »I’ll take another Dalmore, if you’d be so kind, V.«

»Sure«, V nodded. Their parents shook their head, their glasses not empty yet. They didn’t need anything. V turned, fleeing the situation as fast as possible (which wasn’t very fast to be fair. They couldn’t just run off like they wanted to).

»But hurry, we have to talk about your bright future.«

V nodded, not turning back at all. They frowned, an annoyed look on their face. As they turned around the corner to get the alcohol, V couldn’t hold the deep sigh back. Behind them, they heard Abernathy saying what a nice and well-behaved kid the family had. 

Quite some time in and after an awfully long conversation in which V had to engage, Abernathy and Jenkins were leaving again. Finally, V had to admit. It became annoying how they would talk about work V was not interested in or V’s future. Which was equally boring. Because, and let’s be honest here, it was kind of the same topic. V’s future would be in Arasaka, as long as they couldn’t prevent it. It was boring hearing how V should come over, do an internship with that person, meet this person. All the time V had to look interested, feeling like they might die of boredom.

Even as they already were back in the entranceway V could still hear them talking about this evening, Arasaka and V wondered (like so often in their life before) if people like these ever got tired of talking about themselves, their boring-ass lives or damn Arasaka. V felt like they did not. Something was off with these people, as if they were addicted to these topics and as if they couldn’t imagine something else in this world. Or they were just so plain boring that they hadn't anything else in their lives. Which … was really, really sad. But it was over now, V had made it through. Still time wasted. 

They both were gone and V was left with their parents and immediately the modern, expensive room felt empty and lonely again. V heard the closing door. They spun the glass in their hand, tapping with their feet. They were ready to jump up and just head upstairs as soon as they could. 

Before they could do so, V saw their parents come back again. The teen hesitated, stopped in their motion and fell back on the chair. They held tight onto the glass. »I’ll go upstairs«, they said. Their voice sounded unsure for a moment.

»Stay here for a moment.«

V didn’t know why, but they immediately gulped heavily. And nodded without a word. Sure. Of course. Waiting, they looked up.

Both, their mother and father, were standing in front of them. Towering over them like a wall, arms crossed before their chests, serious faces and authoritative aura around them. It wasn’t new to V, but it felt more serious and intimidating today. Without even knowing what was coming next, V ducked their head, looking up to them both. Their heart raced.

»Where have you been today?«

»Eh…Cherry Blossom Market.«

»Cherry Blossom Market?«

»Yes … I just walked around. Looking at things. Thought about eating something «, it dawned V, that they didn’t spend any money. They should keep that part of their answer true. »…but I didn’t.«

Their mother looked over to her husband, didn’t say anything.

»Anywhere else?«, he asked on her behalf.

»I-eh«, V struggled. And actually, that was already answer enough. They would love to say no more, but it probably was better if they did? Blankly, V stared at their parents.

»Corpo Plaza perhaps?«, their mother jumped in.

V’s eyes darted towards her. Slowly and unsteadily, they nodded. »Yeah-yes… I was there. Why?«

»No, the question is: why were you there?«

»I’ve met a friend. We walked around Memorial Park.« V knew how vague they sounded. But they also knew that they didn’t even have to bother with the name of a friend. Their parents didn’t care for V’s friends, they never remembered the names and quite some years ago V had stopped telling them the names at all. As long as the friends were socially adequate for V, their parents didn’t bother at all. And (if you’d believe it or not) they trusted V and their upbringing that they knew who was an appropriate acquaintance and who was not. »Why do you ask?« Best to play stupid.

»NCPD had called«, said their father. His voice low, his eyes darting directly on V. Hitting them almost as hard as a slap.

»What for?«

»They had to check on you.«

«They HAD to?«, V repeated. »t’s not true! I was just waiting and stood there and they just wanted to check my ID.« Fake indignation flushed their cheeks.

»You were not up to something?«

V had to hold themselves back not to gasp for air. »No! You both know me, what should I do that was suspicious or illegal? And why?« Actually, V didn’t really lie. They had delivered a shard. So far was that not illegal as far as they knew. Everything surrounding that shard probably was illegal. But V had nothing to do with that. And if they did … well, at this moment it was really easy to convince even themselves that they were not at fault at all. »And I am not stupid! If I would do something stupid … why would I do it at Corpo Plaza? The place is full of NCPD officers and corpo security!«

Their parents exchanged looks. V wasn’t sure if their father believed them. You just couldn’t read his face. But you never could. V never knew what he was thinking unless he was disappointed in them. It was easy to see if he was disgusted by you and your actions. But nothing of that so far. And their mother … she seemed to believe them.

»You didn’t run into trouble.«

»No, Sir.«

»They had to inform us nevertheless.«

V nodded.

»Although there are no consequences, we handled the situation. There won’t be any traces to you.« V knew exactly what that meant. Some amount of money had landed on an officers account and therefore there was no report with V’s name in it. The meeting with the cops had never happened. Like always. V had never been in real trouble, but even small incidents like these were handled like tiny crimes. »You do know we have to keep the family’s name clean.«

»Yes, Sir.«

»You better never forget what this family name enables you to!«

V shook their head. How could they. Every few days they heard how great this oh-mighty-family-name was. Their father stood up, slowly, scarily calm walked towards them until he towered over them and looked down on them: »And you also better not dirty our name. The name me, my father, his father and your mother’s family worked hard for. Everyone worked hard for what you can enjoy here and in the future. So don’t you dare risk any of that because you want to behave like a little brat that feels the need to be rebellious of any kind.«

He didn’t believe V’s little lie. It was obvious. V stared at him. It was hard for them keeping eye contact.

»You know what is expected of you.«

»Yes«, nodded V.

»And you know what your life’s going to be. We know what we expect of you! And you are going to fulfil that expectation!« Roughly he grabbed them by the shoulder, squeezed them. V grimaced. His hand felt huge on their shoulder. Or did V just feel small again? Like the small kid, they still treated them like? The teen hated that feeling. It wasn’t new to them. They couldn’t shake it off. They didn’t want to feel so small. »Do you hear me, kid?! I demand respect! WE demand respect!« He gestured towards their mother. »You are going to do as you are told! And you better not run into any more problems soon!« _Or else_ … there was always an 'or else'. And V didn’t want to experience this 'or else'. Not again.

»Yes, Sir. Of course.« They avoided his gaze, shyly looking to their mother: »Nothing will happen.« They nodded. A heavy silence hovered over them, pressing V’s shoulders down. They held the glass tight until their veins poked through the skin. Their gazes on the teen were horrible. They burnt. And they angered V. But they couldn’t snap here. Of course, they couldn’t. »I-I’ll go upstairs.« Quickly, they put the glass on the black side table, shoved past their father and with quick steps they left the room and almost jumped upstairs.

With every step, they took some of the fear melted away and the anger flared up again. They were angry. About themselves, about their parents, this stupid family, this equally stupid family name and damn Arasaka. They all were at fault. Because of all of them, V was expected to do what they didn’t want to. And although they knew too well what they wanted and what not, they were too damn scared to voice it. Because they feared their own father and mother. Damn it. Damn scaredy-cat, V!

They hated this. Every second. Every minute. Everything about this. What an absolute shitshow! And what were their parents thinking? Did it become that obvious how much V detested their future, albeit they did their very best not to show it? Or did they just think that V would do something dumb because of boredom? Not because there was a plan behind? They clenched their teeth. Loudly the door closed behind them, V marching through the big, modern bedroom, jumping onto the huge bed. For a long while, they starred at the ceiling, until their eyes hurt and they laid in the dark. Still, they were angry, but they were more certain than before: no way they would become part of Arasaka. They would continue becoming a merc!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we go. I didn't want to go too deep into details with V's parents. So they would fit any V you would imagine. But I wanted to set it in stone that they were cold, not nice parents (if it wasn't obvious so far) and that V had some parts of an abusive past with them.
> 
> So far so good, upcoming is some Wakako again and then some more merc-work :D  
> Still, criticism is very welcome, lemme know what you think. See ya :D


	4. There is so much more one could do!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V is fed up with all these small gigs. They want to reach for the stars and prove themselves.

This was going on for quite a while. Multiple weeks so to say. And as far as V could tell it was working just fine. They had done smaller gigs and there haven’t been any more incidents. Not with NCPD officers nor with their parents. The later was scarier for the teen and therefore they were more than happy that everything was back to normal. Their parents didn’t care. They didn’t bother to pay any attention to V.

Yes, it was hurtful being ignored by your own family, feeling nothing but pressure from father and mother. But V knew this for so long, it didn’t matter actually anymore. And it was more disturbing if the situation was any different than this. You get used to being an accessory.

On the positive: it gave the teen the time and room to do however they pleased. As long as they were careful enough. Not staying away for too long, looking out for themselves, not being hurt. Things like these. Never using Del to drive to the exact location, not calling Wakako while they were in the car or at home. And lastly, they never brought their gun with them home. That goes without saying. For quite a while V didn’t have a weapon. For the smaller gigs, they didn’t need one. But after some time, they felt like it was time to get one if they wanted to do bigger gigs. Obviously, they couldn’t bring the weapon home. Sooner or later someone would discover it and they would know that it wasn’t one of the security firms. V’s parents didn’t wear any weapons on them as far as they knew, so it had to be theirs. And it was also obvious, that they would be angry if they found out that their child wielded a weapon and that without them knowing. V had to look for a different solution. For days they had thought about it constantly until they had found the perfect solution: in a near restaurant (near like in near Jig-Jig street) they paid the owner ever since so they would keep the gun safe and in their name until V came back to get it. They would pay every time they got the gun and just in case their parents would ask what they would use the money for, V could say that they were eating there. The perfect cover. And actually, they were very certain that their parents would never ask why they would eat there. But just in case. It would be another white lie. Easy to tell. Hard to forget.

And now that they had the experience and the necessary equipment, they felt like they should get better gigs. Better gigs. Bigger gigs. Better chances to prove themselves. To people that wouldn‘t care. But mostly, to themselves.

With energetic steps, V had stepped into the pachinko place. They walked past the machines, past the counter and straight into Wakako’s bureau. The woman looked up. She seemed surprised, and a little bit annoyed, if V was correct: » V. A call would have been enough.«

»No, it wouldn’t«, said the teen. »I wanted to talk about something. And it’s more fitting in person.«

»Is that so.« She scanned them. V decided to take a seat on the couch to the right. »What do you want to talk about, kid?« She emphasized the last word especially. It rang in V’s ears. She wanted to make it more than clear who was in control here. And what V actually was to her. A teen, still a kid, that she gave a chance because she had felt generous that day. V was in no position asking for more if they were being honest. Perhaps it was the genes, that Arasaka blood in V’s veins, that gave them the confidence and made them callous enough to even think about it, let alone ask.

V scanned her. They were looking for a sign that this wasn’t the right moment. But Wakako was difficult to read. She was a businesswoman, of course, she was no open book for everyone. And to be honest: there probably was no right or perfect moment. It was one of these rip-the-bandage-fast-moments.

»I think, I should get better gigs by now.«

The teen had expected a lot but not a dry laugh. Up until now, they had been sure that Wakako wasn’t a woman that would ever laugh. »This is not what I had expected.« V wondered. What had she expected then? That they would sit here and cry about their life? Them being a snotty brat? »Well, V, it may be nice that you think so. But I don’t share this opinion.« She looked down at some documents in front of her. Her tone signalled clearly that she was done here.

Baffled, V stared at her. Like…that’s it? She just said no and they were expected to just accept that? Just like that? No explanation? No anything? For a moment V was looking for the right words until they pressed: »And why is that?«

»Isn’t that obvious?«

»Apparently not, I fear.« V felt how their ears got warm (and probably red as well). Rejection wasn’t new to the teen, they could handle that. But this felt different. It hit differently and a part in V struggled just accepting the fixer’s words.

Wakako raised a brow regarding V’s bratty tone and leaned back in her black leather chair. »Let’s begin with: you are doing this work for barely two months.«

Well … that wasn’t wrong. »But I did a lot of gigs since then!«

»And barely well.«

V pressed their lips together. They had to hold back not to gasp for air. It felt like a personal attack. »But I did what I was supposed to do!«, they protested.

»Exactly«, Wakako nodded. »From top-notch mercs, or even only good ones, I expect more. I don’t need to tell them that they have to be discreet. They just are, they already have the necessary feeling how to behave and what is expected of them.«

»Isn’t that a cheap excuse«, blurted V out. They were angry. As Wakako had said herself they were new to the job. They were young. How were they supposed to know everything that others knew after time? How was that fair.

»These are the standards when working with professionals or those who want to be some.«

»But it’s just not fair!«

»You are a child and right now it shows, V.« The teen pressed their lips together until they were nothing more than a thin white line. »Do yourself a favour and leave now.«

Yes, V could do just that. But they were no quitter, they were stubborn. And never before had they felt like they experienced some major wrong. »No!« They jumped to their feet. Their face was burning, they felt the heat spreading through their whole body. »I’ll do better now that I know! I AM doing good work and you will see!«

»Good to hear.« Wakako was little impressed if at all.

»But still, you should give me better gigs. I will do them good!« V walked up to the table, harshly, placing their hands between them both.

»Better gigs are no place for experiments, V. Not a chance.«

Unhappiness spread all over V’s face. To be honest: they didn’t experience it too often that they didn’t get what they wanted. They were spoiled. They often got things before they could even ask. But Wakako was having none of this. She wasn’t even stubborn. She had her principles and she wasn’t willing to overthrow them for V. Which was highly annoying. »Why not?«, they grumbled.

»Better gigs come with a higher risk. One has to save people, escort a person, be like a ghost while you’re at it. You can’t take one of these gigs and just ‘train’ while you at it. There are lives on the line.«

Human collateral damage. V could have figured. But it was a stupid situation. If they couldn’t try they couldn’t learn and if they couldn’t learn they wouldn’t get any better. They were stuck! »But right now all I am allowed to do are deliveries. How am I supposed to become a merc like this? I need better jobs! Other jobs!« Their voice got louder. Nothing to impress Wakako. But the teen was pretty emotional right now and hardly could content themselves. »There must be some corpo stuff without people involved. Let me do that!« V was heavily breathing. Their eyes drilling into Wakako who easily withstand their gaze.

»I am sorry, V«, she said and shook her head. »I can not do that.«

V’s world stopped for a moment. They stared. Still heavily breathing. »Why?« Had they heard right? Why not?

»You see it as it is: you are not getting any corpo gigs. And I do not plan on giving you any at all. Ever.«

That hit. Every word like a single punch. Punch after punch. V’s mouth felt dry, their vocal cords were not able to form words as they tried.

»You have to see it my way: there is a kid, still green behind the ears. They just appear here and demand to get gigs. Why? Who knows. Perhaps they are bored with their privileged life. Perhaps they truly want to do the job. Who knows. And you are nice, give them some smaller gigs and actually hope that they’ll lose interest and get lost again. A small waste of your time and nothing more.« V swallowed heavily. It felt like sandpaper in their throat. »But they stay and the day comes that they have the audacity to stand in front of you and demand more. But you can’t give them and that is because of only one reason.« V held their breath. »Their family is heavily involved with Arasaka.«

And again the world stood still. Arasaka. There it was again. Every time V tried to think about their future that damn corporation appeared in their life. And ruined everything. Made them struggle, made them fall. V clenched their jaw. Wakako’s words sank in. They made sense. They really did. But V didn’t like it.

»I can’t send you against Arasaka. You might not do the job at all. Worst case you would be a risk with the given information for myself. I can’t send you against Militech, you might scheme to steal information from them for Arasaka.«

V nodded.

»I can’t know for sure. Yes, these gigs are full of prestige; you can make it to the major league with these gigs. But they are also too valuable for someone like you.«

Tears of sheer anger formed in V’s eyes. They were angry with Wakako, with themselves, with their family, with Arasaka. With everyone in this damn city. Their voice was shaky: »And what with-«

»With gangs?« V jerked their head in a nod. »I’m doing you a favour when I am not sending you there. One only has to discover who you are and you are dead at best. Which would be worse for me. No job done, trouble with gangs and your family. It’s not worth the trouble.«

»Then there is nothing I can do?«

»I fear not.«

V felt helpless. Like never before. Yes, the situation was new for them. But every time before they had felt like they could get where they wanted to be. No matter what they had to do for it. But Wakako had stripped them of all options possible. There was nothing for them to do. No chance at all. The pachinko machines in the other room sounded horribly loud in their ears. And again they felt small, tiny and useless. »I don’t want to be part of Arasaka«, they whispered. »I don’t want to. I know I am supposed to end there, but I want to make my own decisions!« V clenched their hands to fists and with high frustration, they hit the table. A fire combined with anger and pain (all dwelling in them for years, pushed back and never looked at again) blazing in their eyes. »That’s why I am here in the first place, Wakako! I am not bored! I don’t want just the kick! I want this! I want to decide for myself and be in a world where my family does not matter at all!« They huffed. »I want to matter aside from my family!« V themselves were surprised at how open and honest they were. But that might be their only chance left. If they were brutally honest with the fixer. A pleading look spread over their face, their voice was trembling, their body shaking from tension: »Please, give me that chance! Just one! I promise that there is no scheme behind me. No bigger picture of my family. Hell, they don’t even know I’m here! I’ll do my very best! Do everything I can!« They leaned in a little more. »I will never ever ask you for anything again if you give me that one chance! Please.«

It felt like an eternity until Wakako moved again. She just looked at V and it was obvious this time that she was thinking. She was thinking about the options and if V was worth the risk. V feared for the worst. For a while it was silent. A horrible long while. Like an eternity. »I won’t give you some high-end gig just because you asked me to. Just because you came here and demanded it«, she finally said. »But I am willing to give you a chance.«

V breathed in sharply.

»You are going to do four jobs for me. They will be higher than what you are used to so far. And only if you finish these perfectly then, and only then, we might talk about one bigger gig again.«

»Yes!«

»But if anything is off, not as the client wished, then you are done. I’ll do it my way and you will never ask me about better gigs again.« She mustered them very intensely. She obviously was overthinking her words again. »Is that understood?«

»Understood!«

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Well... yeah, worked really great with never asking for anything again, right (thinking of asking for help with Goro later, haha) xD
> 
> I guess, it is pretty obvious where the next few chapters are heading. I'll do my best making them as interesting and diverse as possible!
> 
> Again, criticism is very welcome, leave a comment if you like and thx for reading. See ya :D


	5. Dry heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After demanding a chance, V gets their first gig. They are stuck in the Badlands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some blood and everything in here. But not untypical for the fandom or too gory. You should be fine, but just in case, you have been warned :)

V was sweating. The dry air was flickering around them. They huffed. Right now the teen didn’t wish for anything more than some lighter clothing. It was their own fault that they hadn’t thought about that detail. Instead, they wore their usual, kind of formal, dark clothing. Not the brightest idea if you were in the Badlands. Perhaps it also was V's inexperience with the districts that were far away from home and the city centre. V couldn’t recall being in the Badlands, not even just driving through. They knew what it looked like out here, but the circumstances? No chance. They knew about those damn nomads and all the stories about them as soon as they went through the news because they had done some damage to corporations again. But besides that? Details that had never mattered in V’s life so far. And at this moment they regretted their own ignorance.

With one hand they wiped away the sweat from their forehead before it could run into their eyes. They tasted the salt on their lips. Their clothes stuck to their body. It felt disgusting as soon as they moved. V pressed their lips together. It was too late to complain now. They had to stick with it. Literally.

In the other hand, they held their gun. It was the first time they had it on them intending to use it if needed. It wasn’t one of those cheap weapons you could get from a vending machine. Would have been very easy actually and free them from the problem that they spent a lot of money on it. Those vending-guns were damn cheap and if you would be honest: they also looked like it. Easy accessible might be a plus but V felt like they also might not do the job. And that would be horrible. Imagine the moment when you desperately need a gun to save yourself and it’s not working. Or it is working, but not as good as possible. No, V had decided, as they had bought the gun, that they needed to buy something of good quality. This was not the time to go cheap (and you have to be fair: V was already swimming in wealth as if they knew how to go cheap anyway). The power pistol felt heavy in their hands. A power gun might not have been their first choice. But there was no way they could handle a tech or smart weapon and their parents not realising the body modification. And both weapons were useless if you used them without the necessary link. The black Nue felt nice in their hands. V had spent quite some time in the gun shop, testing multiple types, wanting to know the feel of all of them. In the end, the Nue had been the best. It felt nice to their palm, not uncomfortably heavy if they should need to use only one hand (without the second hand to support as the shop owner had told them would actually be best) and with some decent DPS variability. V felt prepared. In regards to their weapon of choice at least.

The rest? Well … not really. They had to be that honest to themselves. Never ever would they have said so when Wakako had called them with this gig. They wanted this chance. Hell, they had begged for it and looking back, V still felt their pride hurting over it. The teen might want too much too fast, but they wanted it. And they almost had gotten their way. They only had to prove themselves. And prove themselves they would. 

V straightened their pose, looked over the container they hid behind. They were in the midst of the hot Badlands. Nothing to hide behind besides some trash. Tell you about being hidden. It was so damn suspicious. But V was left with little alternatives. They had to work with what was there. Which wasn’t a lot. Besides sand, some cacti and trash. The bungalow was in front of them. Shabby and worn down and if V didn’t know it better they would doubt that anyone was actually in there. But they had seen some people wander around the house, walk in and out, leave fully. That had made it difficult counting how many people were there in general. V would have liked to know what they had to expect. As one could think it made a huge difference if you run into three people or a full gang of fifty. After spending a couple of hours on their watch, V was almost certain that there were five people, perhaps seven maximum. That already was a lot, especially if you had in mind that V hadn’t had a gig with enemy contact so far. Wakako really didn’t joke around. Perhaps she hoped that V would die because of their pride and arrogance. V grind their teeth.

Come on, V, come on, keep your head in the game. There was no time worrying about Wakako right now. The sun was already setting. That was good. V wanted to go in before it was dark and they might not see anything anymore. Plus, and this thought sounded so inappropriate at this moment, they couldn’t be home too late or their parents might ask some unwanted questions. So it would be better if V was quick. They needed to go in, find the wanted person and get them out, bring them to NC’s border where one of Wakako’s people would pick them up.

The teen took a deep breath and concentrated. Let’s go. Slowly and as silent as possible, they sneaked towards the building. They pressed against the outer walls. Their heart racing like crazy, their throat dry (not sure if because of the tension or the heat around) and their eyes burning as if they had stared at a screen for too long. They heard their blood rushing into their ears as they leaned a little in, risking a look inside. No one was around. No shadow. No steps. They could just climb right in there. Fast in and as fast out. But they still didn’t know where the others were. And there had to be some, the teen knew for sure. They just couldn’t risk it, although they wanted. Instead, they ducked again and went further to the next window.

Nothing. Just an empty, gross looking kitchen. Used plates and glasses standing everywhere, half-eaten food lying around, partly moulding already. V gasped, pressing one hand over mouth and nose. The smell was disgusting. As if anything alive was rotting in there. V couldn’t move fast enough to the next window. They only got a glimpse of the room, when they had to duck again. Three men and one woman were chilling on a couch, staring at a TV screen. Bottles of beer standing next to them. Perhaps they were drunk, which would be good for V, but unfortunately, none of them was out. On the other side of the room was a door. Barricaded with furniture from the outside.

»So glad, that bastard stopped screaming«, snorted one of the guys, turning the volume of the TV down a little.

The others nodded. »You would have cried like a baby as well if you would be tortured«, the woman said. All but one laughed. He got up, walking towards the kitchen.

V crouched down further, making themselves as small as possible. They held their breath. He didn’t see them, right? Did he? V closed their eyes, praying that the guy would keep walking. It felt like an eternity, seconds passing and no one was screaming, no one grabbing them and certainly no one shooting them. So … everything was fine? V opened one eye first, then the second. Everything was fine. It was silent around them, the TV still running the people chatting now and then. It couldn’t be fast enough for V’s taste as they moved again, this time crawling further.

Two windows further and they would have arrived at the next room. But as the door had been closed off the windows were as well. 

Pieces of wood were nailed in front of them from the inside. V checked every window. They couldn’t even peek inside. But from what they had heard it seemed like this was the right room. V got on their feet, walked slowly further. No, no chance at all. »I wonder«, they mouthed without making a sound. They looked towards the roof. There was a pile of trash and with some careful rearranging the teen made it up there. Carefully, they placed one foot before the other, walking towards a metal fire exit-door in the ceiling. Instructions were printed on them. Okay, no problem in opening it. V could do it. But someone was waiting (or not) for them on the other side. They didn’t know what was there. They couldn’t really prepare. They had to roll with it. V took a breath. And then, in one fast and as fluent as possible motion, they opened the exit, slide it to the side and before they could question their own ideas they jumped in.

The fall was anything but elegant. The landing forced them to huff. It was softer than expected. A second later they realised why it had been so soft. They had landed on the gonk. They had crashed him down and knocked him out. Well, if that didn’t turn out great. A short smile washed on V’s face. Lucky as one could be.

»Who are you?«

The voice forced them back into the situation. They looked over. Bound to a chair sat a middle-aged man. Perhaps he was younger than V thought. But the bruises and blood made him look really old. V swallowed hard. They hadn’t seen anything like this ever before. Not in real life. »I’m V. You're Darren, right?« A tiny nod, combined with a groan of pain. »I’m getting you out of here. Wakako is sending me.« A relieved sigh came from Darren: »Thank god, I didn’t think I could handle it anymore.«

»Yes, yes«, V said, cutting them short and signing them to keep it low. Quickly they looked around before they loosened Darren’s ropes. 

»We will have to climb outside again … can you do that?« Slowly, very slowly, Darren got on his feet. His stand was wobbly, unsteady and V really doubted that he would make it far like this. »Can you move at all?«

»Do I have a chance?«

Point taken. V moved the chair a little. »I’ll climb first, then I will help you up, alright?« With little effort, V made it up to the top again and on their knees they reached down, holding their hands towards them. Darren was already struggling climbing the chair and groaned as he reached for V’s hand. »Come on, Darren, just a little more«, V encouraged him. Some more stretching, further leaning in and V got hold of Darren. He was heavy. He was a fully grown man. And with everything the teen had, they leaned back and pulled him towards them. »Come on, Darren«, they snarled. Just a few more centimetres. Just a little more. They heard Darren’s hand grabbing the roof, getting halt and pulling himself a little more up. A little more and a little more. 

»V!«, he gasped.

V’s eyes opened wide. »What?!«, they snapped. What was it now? Darren was grimacing and suddenly he felt way heavier than before. V stretched their neck, trying to get a better look at Darren and his situation. The guy V had landed on was awake again and he clung to Darren’s leg. »Shit!« V pulled harder, earning a groan from Darren. »Hold tight, Darren. With both hands!« He nodded, grabbing the roof and letting go of V’s hands. V crawled closer, they kicked towards the guy. Missed him. Again. Missed again. V repositioned and in a short idea, they grabbed the Nue. Pulled the weapon out and shot.

A loud bang.

V felt the vibrations in their arm. They were thrown back a little, struggled to keep upright. They saw the bullet hit the guy. Originally, they had aimed for the shoulder, so he would let go. They had missed. The bullet had hit the guy straight in the head. Right between the eyes. V saw the blood splattering out of the backside of his head. V thought there was a shocked glance in his direction before his eyes glazed over, becoming dull and empty. His body became limp, hands opening and he fell back. It made an ugly sound as his body hit the floor. V frowned. The sound echoed in their head. They just couldn’t unhear it. Like in a loop it was stuck in their head.

»Help, V!«Darren’s cry for help brought them back to reality. »Ye-yes«, they muttered. With shaky hands they put the gun away, crawling back towards the edge, gripping Darren’s arms (perhaps a little too tight) and pulling him up. It felt easier now. Perhaps the adrenaline. Perhaps the underlying fear that they had to go through that again the longer they had to stay here. That V had to shoot another person. Right now they couldn’t comprehend the one corpse under them. How would it be with more than one? They didn’t let go of Darren, dragging him behind them. »Come«, they husked. »We gotta go before the others realise what happened!«

V was sitting on Delamain's trunk. Darren had already been picked up by Wakako’s driver. V’s job was done. But they couldn’t bring it over themselves to call the fixer. Not because they feared that they didn’t do a good job. They knew very well that they had been doing good. Regarding their deal, they were still in. 

But their mind was still back there in the bungalow. They couldn’t shake the pictures. They had thought it would be easy to be a merc. That you just have to have the right mindset and things would just work out. Killing people was part of it. V knew that. They really did and nevertheless, they felt the impact still. Their hands were still shaking. Hastily, they clenched them. They could still feel the force of the shot in their palms, felt how it shattered through their arms into the rest of their body. The bang vibrated in their ears again. And they saw the falling body, lifeless and dead, in a growing puddle of blood. V stared before them. They felt weird, their body felt numb. They had shot someone.

They had shot someone.

»Are you alright, V?«, Delamain appeared on V’s holo. The AI looked concerned, as far as an AI could.

»Yes«, V lied, nodding. »Just a headache. Don’t worry.« Del disappeared again. V continued starring into the distance. It was dark by now, the air still warm. Not as hot as before anymore, actually pretty nice. But V was sweaty all over their body and the Badlands felt terribly freezing-cold at this moment. Over and over they saw how life had left the guy’s body. And all the blood on the floor, washing over the cheap linoleum. Parts of his brain sprinkled on the walls. V felt sick. Their stomached turned around. The world was spinning around them for a second. They had to close their eyes. They felt nauseous. No matter, how often they repeated it in their head, it felt unreal. Like a dream and so far they weren’t sure if it was a good one. It didn’t feel good nor bad, right now V would be happy to feel at all again. 

A call went in. It took V out of there frozen state.

»V.« It was Wakako.

»I would have called later«, V said, their voice husky. V coughed.

»I just got a call from Darren. Wanted to tell you right away how you did, before you would call eventually.«

»Yes, thanks.«

»What is the matter, you look horrible.«

She was right. V was pale, partly shaking and dark rings under their eyes as if they hadn’t slept for days. Their body was aching, they just didn’t feel good and they couldn’t fake it. »Yeah«, they just nodded, tried to take a deep breath. It was also shaky. _I have to get in control before I go home_ , they thought.

»So just let me tell you, you did fine. The client is safe and happy. You did good, V.«

»Thank you.« They nodded, staring at their feet. It was silent for a minute and V had to actually check if Wakako had already hung up. She hadn’t.

»You should change your clothes before you go home. You look dirty and bloody.«

For the first time V really, like REALLY, looked down at themselves. Wakako was right. Their top was splattered with some blood, their pants (although the fixer probably hadn’t seen that) were dirty and dusty, the shoes as well. Their hands were sweaty. As well as all of their clothes still. They were a mess. »Yeah … I have something to change here.« Thank heaven, they had thought about that when they came here.

»Good. I’ll come back to you with the next gig.« And Wakako vanished from the holo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we go. It took me a little longer this time. I am very sorry, not doing too good right now.
> 
> But I kinda liked the chapter, liked the job in the Badlands and love the Badlands ingame in general, so it felt like a good start.  
> V's next job is coming in the next chapter, going to some well-known places.  
> Keep it up, criticism and comments are very welcome. So far, stay healthy and safe, see ya :)


	6. There's a first for everything at Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V is on their way to the next gig. This time: at the Clouds.

It must have been days since V had heard from Wakako. It probably was the longest time they have ever not heard from the fixer since they had begged her getting gigs in general. V wondered if it was because Wakako had seen them directly after the last gig. To be fair: the teen hadn’t been in the best shape after they had helped Darren getting out of that bungalow and when Wakako had called. Perhaps it hadn’t been too bad if Wakako hadn’t called before because of that. V would be lying if they said that the image of the shot man wasn’t haunting them. It did. Still, they saw it before them. But it wasn’t too bad, they could handle it, they would overcome that. No reason for them to cancel their plans now.

But they had been glad that there had been days off. First, they had thought that their life could never be normal after the last gig. Surprisingly, it felt pretty normal again and right back to the regular. They had lived their days like before. Some school, wasting time, avoiding their parents (sadly, they had to spend time with them and meet other Arasaka people) and just in general thinking about things that didn’t involve shooting people.

Nevertheless, V had grown restless as the fixer had made herself rare. And as she had finally called, V didn’t care what kind of gig she had for them in the end. Although … there was this small, lingering fear dwelling in them that it might end like the last time. There was a chance that this would become their life. It was a merc’s life after all. And you would probably get used to it. But for now … V could handle it if needed. Luckily, it was none of that. The load it took of V’s mind was huge. No people needed to be freed. No one needed to be assassinated (and actually, it would surprise V if Wakako would give them an assassination job). As far as they knew they had just to get a shard. Easy as that.

The only part, that might be a little … well … steamy was, that the shard was currently at the Clouds. V wasn’t nervous because of the gig per se, the location just felt forbidden and naturally, they had never been there before. The megabuilding alone felt odd. V had seen a lot of them, of course. They looked down at them from home, you saw them left and right, but that didn’t mean that the teen had really entered one. Curiously, V scanned people as they made their way up there before they followed. And then they stood inside the Clouds. To be honest: they had expected more. Not sure what exactly, but just somehow more than this. The entrance looked pale. Which was an achievement if you keep all those commercial-holos and bright neon colours in mind. Or did it look cheap? One of both. It had the feeling of a forbidden, dirty establishment, although Joytoys and sex, in general, was nothing out of the ordinary in Night City. You saw it at every corner, everywhere, every channel, every advertising banner. It was omnipresent and yet it had a weird feel to it.

V looked around. It was pretty empty. Somehow, they had expected more people around. Still looking, they walked to the counter. A woman was standing behind, looking at the screen, until she mustered them: »Welcome to Clouds. Where we know what you’re looking for.«

V wasn’t too sure about that: »I am looking for Fawn?«

»There is a great variety of dolls at Clouds«, the receptionist said. »This way we can ensure to find the right fit for you and your needs.«

The teen stared at them. The nice smile on her colourful lips was putting them off. It was this casual nice-business smile. The Clouds was in the end nothing else, right? A business. »I totally believe that, no doubt. But I really only want to meet Fawn.«

For a moment she just looked at them. They both knew that they were annoyed by the other. They had to say what they said and couldn’t (or didn’t want to) compromise. »Let me check if Fawn is available.« Some typing and very short checking: »It seems that she is not available for any clients right now.«

»Is she here right now?«

She hesitated. »I am not allowed to give you this information, I am deeply sorry.« That was fine. Her reaction had been answer enough for V. So, Fawn was here.

»Okay, listen… I’ll wait for Fawn until she is free again. We really have something to discuss.«

»Well, unfortunately, I cannot say how long that will take«, the woman said. With one hand she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. » But you can just jack in and we will find another match for you. Our dolls can change their appearance to your liking even though it might not be Fawn you are with.«

V’s eyes fluttered towards the gadget. »Listen, I am not a client. I-« They stopped. The way the receptionist looked at them it was pretty obvious that this would lead to nowhere. »Fine«, they sighed and stepped closer for jacking in. V hesitated.

Was there an age restriction? Had they to be of legal age to be here? They didn’t dare to ask, not causing problems because they were overthinking. They might not look underage(by now they were in this weird phase where you just couldn’t be sure if people were already in their twenties or still underage. Both seemed fitting at the same time) but them jacking in would probably reveal the necessary data. Nevertheless, they complied. What was the alternative anyway?

Their vision flickered while a scan was also running and a GUI appeared before their eyes. Rows left and right showed multiple doll-faces. »The system will check for desires, wishes and more to match you with the perfect doll«, the woman said. V’s eyes quickly scanned for Fawn’s name.

There it was. On the left, at the very bottom. Strained, they stared at the profile picture. If they just concentrated long and hard enough, perhaps… that was enough. They ground their teeth in tension until the matching process was done and a few doll-profiles popped up. Both male and female. »The matching process is done. You may choose your doll for now.«

V almost sighed out loudly. Fawn’s profile was there. Might not be the perfect-est match, as her profile was rather at the end, but that was fine. Didn’t matter. »I’ll take Fawn!«, they quickly said, sounding way too overexcited.

The woman raised a brow. »As I had told you before, Fawn isn’t available right now. I am very sorry that the system even suggested her. Do you-«

»No, no, that’s fine. I’ll wait!«, V said quickly. They didn’t want to choose a different doll. They had to talk to Fawn. »I’ll take a drink or something.« Quickly they jacked out, no chance of choosing any differently now.

»Okay, if you wish«, she nodded. »You may deposit any weapons before you enter. Fawn will check on you and bring you to booth seven as soon as possible.«

»Thank you, very much.« V paid, and quickly moved further. They didn’t want any more questions or possible problems. They got rid of their weapon and walked in. Inside it was even brighter. More lights flickered, everything was coloured in a tint of pink and red, some violet here and there. V wasn't naïve or prude in any way. Hell, these times you hardly could be a prude at all. Sexualized commercials and series and shows and books were everywhere, you could hardly escape them. And V was a teen. It was actually safe to say, that it had never been easier getting in contact with porn ever before. They knew how things worked, they had seen a lot, but the constant moaning, blissful, electrical orgasmic screaming of women (it probably only was a commercial. The booths looked soundproof as far as V could tell) was loud and caught V kind of off guard. They felt their cheeks blush. Their eyes wandered around. They might be here for a job, but it was a first and they were curious. For a second they almost lost them in the surrounding, wanting to see as much as they could. Who could know when they would see something like this place again? Not too soon probably.

Overwhelmed, V stood in the middle of the corridor, until they managed to call them back to reason. Keep the head in the game, V! The receptionist had said that Fawn would be in booth seven. V walked around, searching for the respectable booth. When they had found it, they stopped and hesitated. The glass door was milky, you couldn’t see inside. But V knew for a fact that someone was in there with Fawn. Did they really want to take the risk and walk into something? Or should they better wait? V glanced over their shoulders and took a breath. Better they brought it over them as fast as possible.

They opened the door and walked in fast. The door slid shut behind them. The room felt almost empty. The lights were dim, a mysterious violet colour. A huge, comfy looking bed with ugly bedsheets stood in the middle of the room. On its edge sat a woman, legs spread wide, her eyes fixated on the (apparently) doll dancing before them. V felt relieved. They hadn’t walked into something too major. Neither of the women seemed to notice them at first. The teen walked closer, coughing loudly: »Sorry.«

The sitting woman’s head flew around and she gasped, staring at them in a mixture of embarrassment and anger. The doll was still dancing, barely paying any attention to V. »What the hell are you doing in here, you little weirdo!« The woman jumped to her feet. Yep, she really looked angry.

V raised their hands, took a step back: »I didn’t want to interrupt. But I have to talk to Fawn!« The doll stopped now. »It’s just gonna be a second. I’m not a client!«

»Yeah sure«, the woman didn’t seem to believe them. »I’m gonna get you kicked out of here!« Sharply one of her chrome fingers hit V’s shoulder. It kinda stung.

»No, please. I don’t want any trouble!« V felt embarrassed, they were basically begging by now. It greatly went against their pride. Disgraceful. »I’ll just need five minutes. Here, I’ll pay you for the minutes, get yourself a drink. As soon as you're finished, I’ll be already gone!« V hoped that this would work. The woman’s eyes lit in a light blue as V transferred a huge amount of money. It was way too much, they knew that. For that amount of money, she could buy multiple dolls at once for multiple days if she wanted. But the teen hoped that the sheer amount of money would convince her just enough. Luckily, they were right. The woman stopped, seemed to think about it and nodded. »One drink and when I come back, you better be gone!«

V nodded and looked after the woman as she left. Their heart was still fluttering, but they didn’t feel as tense anymore. »Fawn«, they said, turning their attention towards the doll. They came closer. So far the doll hadn’t said a single word and as V came closer, they softly grabbed them by the hand and guided them to the bed. The woman had sat here before, V could still feel the warmth of her body on the mattress. And again the doll began dancing. Elegantly her body moved, her hands stroking over her own curves. Her eyes laid on V. The teen felt it almost burning on them. Although her eyes and she herself were beautiful, it was making them uncomfortable. They looked at their feet, avoiding her gaze. They swallowed hard. They had been overwhelmed before, but this was worse. Their heart was racing, their skin tingling and as Fawn bent over and lightly touched their knee, V felt like they might be one fire. Their throat was dry as the Badlands all of sudden. They felt their heartbeat even in their ears. »I-eh … I don’t«, they stammered, having a hard time keeping their thoughts in line. Their gaze was still on her hand on their leg. The skin was smooth, the fingers delicate.

As Fawn leaned in further, they got a look at her perfect cleavage and V held their breath. Fawn’s breath was warm against their ear and cheek as she whispered in their ear: »I know.« V felt as if their brain short-circuited. Wait, what. Had they heard right? What? Their eyes opened wider, they turned their head a tiny bit. They caught a glimpse of Fawn's wide grin. »I am just fucking with you«, giggled Fawn and moved back. »I know who you are. You are here for the shard, right?«

She took her hand off V’s, took a step back and gave the teen some space to breathe. V was confused. Their brain struggled to piece everything together right now, they felt like in pure overload. They nodded awkwardly. »Ye-yeah«, their voice was husky and burned against their still dry throat. »Am V.«

»Nice to meet you, V. You are pretty young for a merc, aren’t you?« Still smiling Fawn tilted her head back.

»Eh, yeah … I-I guess. Still figuring everything out.«

»No shame in that and you handled everything here rather well.« A soft giggle escaped her. She reached to the back of her head and got the shard, walking closer again. Her hand with the shard was between them now. »Here you go, V. Good luck with the job.«

»Yes, thanks!« Maybe V sprang to their feet a little too fast, showing how much they still were all over the place. Then again, it was just before Fawn and albeit V was still confused because of their joke, she seemed like a nice person that didn’t mind. She just had teased a teen in a dollhouse. V left the booth, checking for the woman from before (still nowhere to be seen), picked up their gun and as soon as possible they had left the dollhouse behind them.

The rest of the gig had been a piece of cake. It had been some climbing work. A little difficult not to cross the way with some gangoons. But as soon as V was up on the roofs, climbing like a monkey, jumping over fences, crawling through holes, it was rather easy. The shard soon was delivered to the agreed location. Job done, client happy, Wakako as well. V was given an additional reward (to be fair, so far V never cared how much they made. Must be their upbringing that they had no sense regarding money whatsoever) and was done for today. In retrospect the gig hadn’t been much of a deal, the only thing that had brought some sweat to V’s face had been the situation and Fawn herself. Well… perhaps, V was in dire need of a cold shower now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of was hesitant if I should tell you that there was nothing really sexual happening at the beginning... but I guessed it would take too much away? Although nothing really happened. Haha.
> 
> Well ... took me quite a while with this chapter. I am kind of satisfied with it. But I still feel burned out. I'll do my best to bring you the next chapter faster!
> 
> So far until the next time. See ya :D

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here we are again, back with some pre-canon work.  
> This time it's Corpo V in their teens and some part of their life. At least I like to think of it that way.
> 
> Again, V is not necessarily non-binary here, I'd like to keep it open what their gender is, so everyone can decide for them personally. The same with their parents. I tried to keep it as vague as possible. I thought that V might be 16/17 here.  
> Obviously, I take some freedom and probably mess up the timeline as I use some existing characters in and just guess that they might be of a fitting age for the time in this story. So... sorry, I guess, if it's wrong in any way here.
> 
> This chapter works as an opener kind of and starting with the next one the story is more coming to focus (oh, and it's a consecutive story), so stick with me. See ya :D


End file.
